Resistance swim training device

ABSTRACT

A resistance swim training device is described. The resistance swim training device includes a waist harness configured to secure around a waist of a swimmer. The resistance swim training device also includes a spacing bar configured to facilitate moving and rotation motions of the swimmer. The resistance swim training device further includes two or more cords that connect the spacing bar and the waist harness.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/654,552, filed on Apr. 9, 2018, the contents of which are all hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Swimming is a popular method of exercise and recreation. Competitive swimmers often desire an efficient method of strength training or increasing the number of strokes per pool length. Recreational swimmers need an efficient method to get a cardiovascular workout when swimming.

Commercial and private swimming pools are often used for swimming exercise. However, this requires a large space for the swimming pool and is costly for maintenance. Therefore, it may not be a great solution to have a full-size swimming pool in a residential house or an area with limited space, such as a small-size cruise ship or personal training club. Comparatively, it is more practical to build a small-size swimming pool. With a small-size swimming pool, it is more difficult for a swimmer to comfortably exercise.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In summary, the Detailed Description presents a device for resistance swim training. For most traditional resistance swim training devices, a single cord is used to attach to the swimmer, which prevents the swimmer from normal hip rotation and creates non-uniform rotational resistance. One of the recent alternatives to alleviate the above issue is to use two cords to connect to the two racing lanes on one side of the cords, and connect the swimmer on the other side of the cords. Though this setup prevents the swimmer from kicking the cords, the wide angle of cords reduces the swimmer's hip rotation.

In many cases, the presented approaches here use a spacing bar to separate the direct connection of the swimmer with the anchor point, which the swimmer swims away from. Having the spacing bar in between provides a midway buffer and alleviates the harmful impact to the swimmer due to the counterforce created by the anchor point as well as the gravitational or buoyant forces acting on the device, reducing non-uniform rotational resistance.

According to a first set of innovations described herein, a resistance swim training device comprises at least a waist harness to which two lengths of cord are coupled, and extend from attachment points on the harness located approximately half the circumference of the harness on opposite ends of the wearer. There are multiple attachment points on the harness, thus the attachment sites for the cords on the harness can be adjusted to different points for various training purposes. The harness is often worn with the attached cords positioned above the femur heads and below the lower ribs when preferred, or to allow proper flutter kicking and dolphin kicking, or the spacing bar may be temporarily removed when preferred or breaststroke kick is involved. For most uses except for breaststroke, a spacing bar is connected to the other side of the two cords. The spacing bar is also connected to an anchor point, where the swimmer swims away from. The anchor point, such as a wall, parachutes, a grounding stake, or the ground, provides the resistance that is required for resistance swimming. There are one or more attachment points on the spacing bar. In one embodiment, a single cord is attached on the spacing bar and is connected to the anchor point. The spacing bar maintains a width required to keep the swimmer's legs clear of the paired cord lengths. Meantime, the spacing bar separates the impact to the swimmer due to the counterforce created by the anchor point as well as the gravitational or buoyant forces acting on the device.

Similarly, according to a second set of innovations described herein, a resistance swim training device comprises at least a waist harness to which two or more cords are coupled and extend from the attachment points on the harness. A spacing bar is connected to the harness through the two or more cords. The spacing bar is also connected to an anchor point, where the swimmer swims away from, through a cord structure made with multiple cords. In one embodiment, a Y-shape structure base cord structure is used to connect the spacing bar with the anchor point.

Various materials of the cords can be used in order to provide different type of resistance to the swimmer. Having a spacing bar in between the swimmer and the anchor point separates the impact to the swimmer due to the counterforce created by the anchor point as well as the gravitational or buoyant forces acting on the device.

The invention is described in detail hereinafter. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures. The detailed description also includes any preferred or particular embodiments specifically discussed or otherwise disclosed. The invention can be used in combination or separately. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of illustration only and so that this disclosure will be thorough, complete and will fully convey the full scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a resistance swim training device.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the disassembled components of the resistance swim training device described in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is diagram illustrating an example of a waist harness described in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4a is a diagram illustrating a connection of two cords to the waist harness described in FIG. 3, through a single attachment point.

FIG. 4b is a diagram illustrating a connection of two cords to the waist harness described in FIG. 3, through two selected attachment points.

FIG. 4c is a diagram illustrating a connection of two cords to the waist harness.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a spacing bar described in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6a is a diagram illustrating a single base cord connecting to the spacing bar through an attachment point.

FIG. 6b is a diagram illustrating a Y-shape structure base cord connecting to the spacing bar through two selected attachment points.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a resistance swim training device with adjustable attachment points, with two cords that connect the waist harness and the spacing bar, and a single base cord that connects the spacing bar and the anchor point.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a resistance swim training device with adjustable attachment points, with two cords that connect the waist harness and the spacing bar, and a Y-shape structure base cord that connects the spacing bar and the anchor point.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A resistance swim training device is described herein. Use of a resistance swim training device transforms a residential small-size pool or swim spa into an impact-free swimming training environment. The resistance swim training device can achieve all the benefits of a traditional swimming pool using only a fraction of the space. The resistance swim training device is designed to be easy-to-use, comfortable, safe, and most importantly, capable of providing the training that a swimmer desires.

Resistance swimming involves the act of pushing against artificial resistance created by water and/or a resistance swim training device. Conventional resistance training for swimming involves only a single cord in which one end of the cord attaches to a harness that the swimmer wears on their waist and the other end of the chord attaches to an anchor point which the swimmer swims away from, providing the resistance. Examples of common anchor points include parachutes, a wall, a grounding stake, and the ground. The traditional single cord resistance swimming device allows a swimmer to swim at any speed, even flat-out sprints, and to vary the speed at will.

However, all single cord attachment setups introduce forces that create hyper- or hypo-lordosis, depending on whether the cord attachment is in the front or back of the swimmer. Also, the single cord attachment setups often get kicked or entangled around a swimmer's feet and legs while swimming due to being attached centrally, which obstructs kicking. Furthermore, the single cord attachment setups tend to reduce the rotational resistance in a non-uniform way, hindering normal hip rotation. The multiple disadvantages with single cord setups increase the difficulty of training effectively.

Therefore, a need exists for resistance training that enables neutral pelvic positioning, normal kicking and free hip rotation while swimming. Additionally, it is desirable for the resistance swim training device to provide adjustable resistance to swimmers for their body motions in different swimming styles, such as front crawl, backstroke, butterfly, and sidestroke. The resistance swim training device described herein provides an effective method of exercise for recreational swimmers using in-ground or home pools.

Although the various forms of the resistance swim training device described herein are used for resistance swim training, in many cases the resistance swim training device can be used for resistance training in other sports, e.g., speed skating, short track speed skating, gymnastics, track and field.

More generally, various alternatives to the examples described herein are possible. For example, certain components described with reference to the diagrams can be altered by changing the ordering of components shown in the diagrams, by splitting, repeating or omitting certain components, etc. The various aspects of the disclosed components can be used in combination or separately. Different embodiments use one or more of the described innovations. Some of the innovations described herein address one or more of the problems noted in the background.

I. Description of Resistance Swim Training Device.

FIG. 1 illustrates a resistance swim training device 100. A resistance swim training device includes a waist harness 105; a spacing bar 110; an anchor point 115; cords 120, 125 that connect the waist harness to the spacing bar; a base cord 130 that connects the spacing bar to the anchor point; and cable connection points 135 that facilitate the connection of the cords to other components.

The waist harness 105 is made of a material impervious to damage from water, such as nylon or a rubber-type of material. The waist harness may include different types of material for the internal and external sides. In one configuration, the waist harness may be built using an integral length of braided cord and may be constructed to be tubular forming an internal chamber.

The spacing bar 110 may be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS), Ethylene Vinyl Acetate foam (EVA) or other suitable materials able to provide the width of space that is required to keep the swimmer's legs clear of the cords. For example, the spacing bar 110 may have a width that is greater than the hip width of the swimmer. As another example, the spacing bar 110 may have a width that is greater than the widest kicking distance of the swimmer. The spacing bar can be designed in an oblong or aerofoil shape, though not exclusively.

The anchor point 115 may be a fixed or movable object that the swimmer swims away from. The anchor point also provides the resistance for the resistance swimming. The anchor point may be a wall, a towable object such as a parachute or an underwater umbrella, a grounding stake, or other similar objects. For example, the anchor point can be a grounding stake that is fixed in the ground.

The cords used may be made of material including but not limited to, plastic or chain link, twine or rope, tubes of rubber, nylon, plastic material, or other similar materials. Cords may be entirely inelastic, entirely elastic, or may have a combination of both elastic and inelastic portions. Cord elasticity may be selected based on the size and configuration of the pool and the anchor points needed. Cord elasticity may also be selected based on the weight of the swimmer. In one example, the cords may be bungee cords or coiled lines to provide shock-absorption necessary for a comfortable swim. In another example, springs may be added to the cords to reduce the impulse the swimmer experiences when the cords are pulled taut. In a third example, the elasticity of each cord may be individually adjustable (such as via mechanical or electronic means). In most configurations, the swimmer swims away from the anchor point 115. In some other configurations, for instance, for practicing speed assisted streamlines where a coach or weighted system pulls from the anchor point 115, the swimmer holds a streamline in the direction of the anchor point.

The cable connection points may include carabiners, sliding steel balls, snap hooks, or harness lock clips. The use of cable connection points to link the cords to the waist harness, the spacing bar, and the anchor point may include linking methods such as stitching, welding, gluing, melting, fusing, fastening with nuts and bolts or other similar fastening methods. Additionally, various rotating shaft or ball-bearing type systems may be used as the cable connection points or within the cord lengths to release rotational tension stored in the resistance swim training device during swimming activities.

Cords of varying elasticity may be interchanged within the resistance swim training device depending on whether the swimmer requires that the distance from the anchor point be variable or fixed.

FIG. 2 illustrates in detail the components and their connections used to construct one example of the resistance swim training device 200. The resistance swim training device is configured with at least a waist harness 205 attached to two cords 210, 215 via carabiners 220, 225. The two cords extend from opposing ends of the waistline of the waist harness. In this example, the waist harness is used to hold the swimmer, and the carabiners 220, 225 can slide freely along the waist harness 205. In another configuration, there are fixed attachment points on the waist harness, and the cords are connected to the fixed attachment points using carabiners or other fasteners. In a third configuration, rather than using a separate waistband, the waistband may be formed using the cords. For example, fasteners may be used to keep the cords in place around a swimmer's waist.

Carabiners 230, 235 may be secured to the other end of the cords 210, 215 (opposite to the end of the cords where carabiners 220, 225 are attached). Carabiners 230, 235 are fastened to the spacing bar 240 at attachment points 245, 250 respectively.

The spacing bar 240 may be positioned between the waist harness 205 and the anchor point. The spacing bar 240 maintains a width of space that is required to keep the swimmer's legs clear of the cords 210, 215. The width of the spacing bar is defined as the distance from attachment point 245 to attachment point 250.

The spacing bar 240 is used to reduce the impact to the swimmer due to the counterforce created by the anchor point as well as the gravitational or buoyant forces acting on the resistance swim training device. In many cases, the spacing bar separates the direct connection between the swimmer and the anchor point, which the swimmer swims away from. The spacing bar 240 provides a midway buffer to alleviate the harmful impact of the counterforces created by the anchor point. Without the spacing bar, this impact will be directly applied to the swimmer.

The length between the waist harness 205 and the spacing bar 240 needs to be longer than the length of a swimmer's hip to foot. This ensures that the swimmer's feet don't kick the spacing bar during swimming activity. The length between the waist harness 205 and the spacing bar 240 can be set such that the swimmer is kept within the swimming area (e.g., so that the swimmer's head does not bump into the pool wall opposite the anchor point).

The spacing bar 240 may be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS), ethylene vinyl acetate foam (EVA) or other suitable materials. In some configurations, the spacing bar 240 may be designed in shapes such as oblong or aerofoil. In other configurations, the shape of the spacing bar 240 may take on the shape of a hollow circle, hollow square, or other shape or combinations of shapes that accomplish similar functions of creating space for the body and legs to kick freely. The length between the waist harness 205 and the spacing bar 240 may be shorter if the spacing bar 240 is designed in these alternative configurations.

In some embodiments, the swimmer may be anchored to objects lateral to the position they are swimming. In this case, the swimmer may choose to swim utilizing a shortened configuration of the resistance swim training device, which may include a harness 205, cords 210, 215 and carabiners 220, 225, 230, 235. In other configurations, the spacing bar 240 may be curved and function as an anchoring device on the rim of the pool, especially for in-ground-pools. Alternatively, cords 210, 215 may connect to anchor objects such as a wall or a towable object such as an underwater umbrella.

Carabiner 255 is fastened to the spacing bar 240 at attachment point 260. The opposing end of the base cord 265 is fastened to carabiner 270, which, in turn, is fastened to the attachment point 275 within the grounding stake 280 as part of the anchor point.

In some embodiments, anchor objects other than the grounding stake may be used as the anchor point. The base cord 265 may connect directly to a wall, a tree, a fence, a pool edge, an underwater umbrella, or other suitable objects which may provide tension against the swimming activity.

FIG. 3 further illustrates an example of a waist harness 300 for use in a resistance swim training device. There are multiple attachment points 305, 310, 315 on the waist harness 300 (also referred to as notches). Carabiners (and corresponding cords) can be flexibly attached to the one or more attachment points e.g., 305, 310, 315 according to different training requirements and purposes. Carabiners can be also attached directly to the waist harness belt and slide freely along the waist harness 300.

In one example, the swimmer wants to practice his/her stroke technique in water and prefers to have free hip rotations. In this configuration, the swimmer may prefer to attach both carabiners 405, 410 to the central attachment point on one side of the waist harness 415, as shown in FIG. 4a . In another example, the swimmer may desire to focus on the strength training of his/her arms and legs. In this configuration, the swimmer may prefer to attach the carabiners 420, 425 to the attachment sites located approximately half the circumference of the waist harness on the left and right sides of the swimmer 430 and 435, as shown in FIG. 4b . In a third example, the swimmer may attach the carabiners 440, 445 directly to the waist harness belt 450, so that the carabiners can slide freely along the waist harness.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a spacing bar 500 for use in a resistance swim training device. The spacing bar 500 may include multiple attachment points 510. Various assortments of carabiners and base cords may be attached to the attachment points on the spacing bar, which is further illustrated in FIGS. 6a and 6 b.

In one example illustrated in FIG. 6a , a carabiner 605 (and a corresponding base cord 610) is connected to the central attachment point on the spacing bar 615. In another example illustrated in FIG. 6b , a Y-shape structure base cord is formed to connect the spacing bar 620 with the anchor point. The Y-shape structure base cord may be formed using a cord 625 with a carabiner 630, 635 attached to each side of the cord. The two carabiners connect the cord to the spacing bar 620 via two attachment points on the spacing bar 620. A third carabiner 640 connects to a second cord 645 and attaches to the first cord 625, to form the Y-shape structure base cord.

II. Examples of Resistance Swim Training Device

FIG. 7 depicts one example of a resistance swim training device 700. The spacing bar 705 is connected to the waist harness 710 through two cords 715, 720 in the way shown in FIG. 4b . The length from the waist harness 710 to the spacing bar 705 is typically longer than the distance from the swimmer's hips to feet. The spacing bar 705 is also connected to a grounding stake 725 via a single base cord 735 attached to a central attachment point 730 on the spacing bar 705. Furthermore, arrows 740, 745 have been included to indicate the rotation around an axis that the resistance swim training device typically pivots around when in use. The base cord 735 rotates on the same axis as the rest of the resistance swim training device 700 (excluding the grounding stake 725). The rotation around the axis (indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 7) is produced by the swimmer using the resistance swim training device. FIG. 7 depicts one example of the rotational direction that is often seen with a single backstroke or freestyle pull. However, the resistance swim training device is also designed to rotate in the opposite direction, which is not depicted in FIG. 7. The grounding stake 725 does not rotate and is stationary.

FIG. 8 depicts another example of a resistance swim training device 800. The spacing bar 805 is connected to the waist harness 810 through two cords 815, 820 in the way shown in FIG. 4b , which may provide additional stability to the swimmer during swimming motions. The spacing bar 805 is connected to the grounding stake 825 through the Y-shape structure base cord 830 that is shown in FIG. 6 b.

In one configuration, ankle floats that are made of buoyant material can be included in the resistance swim training device (or replacing the waist harness entirely) and attached to the swimmer's ankles. This may reduce the swimmer's workload in the leg and creates strengthened training to the upper body areas.

In another embodiment, the swimmer can also use flippers to increase the workload during a training session. This creates additional resistance from the cords and may help the training of muscle in the erector spinae or hip areas.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure does not intend to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or the descriptions above. Other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered by the following claims. 

We claim:
 1. A resistance swim training device comprising: a waist harness configured to secure around a waist of a swimmer; a spacing bar configured to facilitate moving and rotation motions of the swimmer; and two or more cords that connect the spacing bar and the waist harness.
 2. The resistance swim training device of claim 1, wherein the spacing bar is connected to an anchor point through one or more cords.
 3. The resistance swim training device of claim 2, wherein the spacing bar is connected between the waist harness and the anchor point.
 4. The resistance swim training device of claim 2, wherein the spacing bar reduces counterforces from the anchor point on a swimmer.
 5. The resistance swim training device of claim 1, wherein the spacing bar is connected to an anchor point through a Y-shape structure.
 6. The resistance swim training device of claim 5, wherein the Y-shape structure comprises: a first cord with a first and a second carabiner, wherein the first carabiner is connected to a first side of the first cord, and the second carabiner is connected to a second side of the first cord, wherein the first carabiner is attached to a first attachment point on the spacing bar and the second carabiner is attached to a second attachment point on the spacing bar; and a second cord connected to a third carabiner, wherein the third carabiner attaches to the first cord.
 7. The resistance swim training device of claim 1, wherein the spacing bar provides sufficient space to keep a swimmer's legs clear of the cords.
 8. The resistance swim training device of claim 1, wherein the spacing bar is made of material selected from a group consisting of high-density polyethylene, polystyrene, and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate foam.
 9. The resistance swim training device of claim 1, wherein the spacing bar is in a shape from a group consisting of oblong, circle and aerofoil.
 10. The resistance swim training device of claim 1, wherein the spacing bar is configured with one or more attachment points for connection with the two or more cords.
 11. The resistance swim training device of claim 10, wherein the spacing bar is connected to each cord using a carabiner, a sliding steel ball, a snap hook, or a harness lock clip.
 12. The resistance swim training device of claim 1, wherein the waist harness is configured with attachment points for connection with the two or more cords.
 13. The resistance swim training device of claim 12, wherein the waist harness is connected to each cord using a carabiner, a sliding steel ball, a snap hook, or a harness lock clip.
 14. The resistance swim training device of claim 12, wherein two of the cords connect to the attachment points on the waist harness at approximately half the circumference of the waist harness.
 15. The resistance swim training device of claim 1, wherein the cords are made of material selected from a group consisting of rope, twine, rubber, nylon, plastic material, tube, chain link, bungee cord and coiled lines.
 16. The resistance swim training device of claim 1, wherein each of the cords can be entirely inelastic, entirely elastic, or have a combination of both elastic and inelastic portions.
 17. The resistance swim training device of claim 1, wherein each cord has an adjustable elasticity level.
 18. A resistance swim training device comprising: two or more cords; a waist harness configured to secure around a waist of a swimmer; and a spacing bar configured to provide sufficient space to keep the swimmer's legs clear of the cords between the spacing bar and the waist harness, wherein the spacing bar is further configured to reduce counterforces from an anchor point on the swimmer.
 19. A sport training system comprising: a harness configured to secure around one or more parts of a person; a spacing bar configured to facilitate the moving and rotation motion of the person and reduce an impact to the person; and two or more cords, wherein one end of each cord is attached to the harness and the other end of each cord is attached to the spacing bar.
 20. The sport training system of claim 19, wherein the spacing bar is connected to an anchor point through one or more cords. 